Lists of high-school events: Too much to bite off?

Saturday

Dear Ms. Plageman: I am disappointed and concerned that The Dispatch does not find a way to publicize high-school drama and musical events.

Dear Ms. Plageman: I am disappointed and concerned that The Dispatch does not find a way to publicize high-school drama and musical events.

Because there are many high schools in the Dispatch readership area, perhaps space prohibits a feature article on each play or concert. However, I think there is room to run a weekly listing of events -- including name of event, name of school, date, time, location and cost.

I remember that, in the fall, The Dispatch devoted an article listing all high-school drama productions planned for the school year. However, as anyone planning an event knows, more timely publicity is needed to reach the intended audience.

Even those of us who thought to save the article for reference throughout the year sometimes have a hard time finding the paper

several months later.

Also, putting the information in a neighborhood news publication is not enough. Not all of our schools have a neighborhood paper, and no single neighborhood paper reaches all the families in a school, because some schools draw from a wide area.

I have a son in drama and music at Centennial High School, and have experienced frustration in trying to publicize the events.

Isn't there some way for The Dispatch to run this information on a timely basis?

-- Kathy Jackson, Columbus

Kathy: High-school coverage -- whether we're talking sports, drama, music or another area -- is among the stickiest coverage issues that major metropolitan newspapers face.

And the more that newspapers struggle financially, the gooier it gets.

The reason we don't do more comes down essentially to resources (people and space) and the scope of the subject -- which, in a region the size of central Ohio, is quite vast, whether we're talking high-school sports, drama, music or another area.

Our high-school theater preview, which you mentioned, is, in fact, an annual effort to remind Dispatch readers of the student talent in our community.

Is it ideal that the section compels readers to save it for reference? No.

But the section does offer us a workable way to recognize all that happens from year to year in high-school theater. (We also do the occasional play-related feature story, such as the one showcased today on the Life & Arts cover.)

Committing to a regularly printed list of productions with the level of detail you suggest is more difficult to manage (and stay on top of) than the idea might suggest.

What seems more doable these days is a running calendar of productions on Dispatch.com.

Any such online setup would require area high schools (or their parent representatives) to submit accurate and timely information. The Dispatch, in turn, would need to publicize the Web address consistently to condition folks who might be inclined to use it as a resource throughout the school year. (And maybe schools could help us by spreading the word.)

As a greater percentage of society goes online for its news and information, the value of such a tool would surely grow.

We'll give the idea serious consideration. Stay tuned.

Wisdom on ages

I heard from 11 people regarding our practice of requesting ages of Dispatch contest entrants -- an issue

I addressed last Saturday

in Now You're Talking.

My take on that volume of feedback: The vast majority of readers are OK with the status quo. (Then again, as the cynics out there are probably thinking: Maybe only 11 people read my column. Sigh.)

Several of those who did respond are clearly not fond of the requirement. And some people, it turns out, aren't being entirely honest when providing ages.

Some excerpts:

• From C. Richard Williams of Columbus: "If you were hiring respondents, your practice would be illegal. As it happens, it's just irritating. My suggestion: Stop doing it."

• From Joan Supino of Ray: "I vote yes, yes, yes! I am always interested in seeing the ages of those who enter. I am 71 and have entererd twice -- the first time I've entered a contest. . . . My age is such a blessing, having lived this long."

• From Harry L.: "I know people who have not entered your contest because of the age requirement, and I know people who have entered and just made up an age. So, so much for your demographic indicators."

• From Kalyn S. Lubinsky of Galloway: "I will admit I enjoy seeing the ages of the participants in the Moderately Confused contest -- if they are admitting their correct ages. . . . . I believe that most folks are truthful and will list their correct age, but I'm just not one of them. I'm betting there are others out there who don't, either."

• From Len Fisher of Lewis Center: "Knowing the age of each entrant is part of the fun. It is fun to be able to know the point of view of each entrant. It can be fun to know the kinds of happenings that each entrant is likely to have lived through -- how that might have inspired his or her caption -- and how tender the entrant's thoughts might be. And isn't fun what it is all about?"

Mary Lynn Plageman is Dispatch managing editor

of features.

talking@dispatch.com

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